Details

Dr. Mark Doran said people sneeze differently probably for the same reasons that we talk differently. “Everyone has a different airway and anatomy of the nasal passages, so they make different sounds,” he said. “But some of it is how polite you want to be.”

Why do we sneeze?

Sneezing is the body’s way of ridding itself of something irritating the inside of the nose. It can be caused by respiratory infections, allergens or particles irritating the lining of the nose. “Your nose can filter debris down to about the size of a red blood cell,” Doran said. “Anything bigger than that can make you sneeze. You don’t always see stuff floating around in the air.”

How does it work?

A tickle sensation in the nerve endings sends a message to your brain, which in turn sends a message to muscles that create a sneeze. These include the abdominals, chest and diaphragm, as well as the muscles in the back of your throat and the ones that control the vocal chords. “It’s one of those simple things you take for granted that are actually pretty physiologically complex,” Doran said. “It’s something you don’t think about.”

Sneezing myths

Your heart stops when you sneeze. If you try to sneeze with your eyes open, they’ll pop out. “I work in the ER and I’ve yet to see that,” Doran said. “It’s an old wives’ tale.”

How to provoke a sneeze

Expose yourself to pepper, dust, cold air or bright light (if you’re a photic sneezer — see “Did you know.”)

How to stifle a sneeze

Put your finger underneath your nose or against the side of your nose. It won’t always work, but it can block some of the irritation and sometimes take away the sneezing sensation. If sneezing is the result of a cold or allergies, antihistamines can help by reducing inflammation and irritation in the nasal passages.

Did you know?

*You always close your eyes when you sneeze.

*A sneeze can send tiny particles speeding out of your nose at more than 100 mph.

*One of every three people sneezes when exposed to bright light. They are known as photic sneezers. It is an inherited trait.

*Most animals sneeze.

*Sternutation is the medical term for sneezing.

Bless you!

When someone sneezes, it’s almost a knee-jerk reaction for those around him or her to say “Bless you!” without giving another thought to the expression. Because sneezing sometimes indicates an oncoming cold or illness, saying “May God bless you” came into being as a way to ward off bad health. In some countries, a sneezer’s act is not recognized for various reasons (bad luck, etc.) but here’s how to say the equivalent of our “Bless you!” in a few languages, with the literal translations:

Spanish: Salud! (To your health)

German: Gesundheit! (May God bless you)

Dutch: Gezondheid! (May God bless you)

French: A tes souhaits! (To your desires)

Polish: Na zdrowie! (Cheers)

Record for consecutive sneezes

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the longest recorded sneezing fit belonged to Donna Griffiths of the United Kingdom. She began sneezing on Jan. 13, 1981 and sneezed an estimated 1 million times in the first 365 days. Her first sneeze-free day came 978 days later on Sept. 16, 1983.

Details

This offer is for subscribers only.

If you're already a subscriber, you're all set! Simply sign in to access.